Cost of living crisis.

[FoxesDeb]

4 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

This is something I’ve been wondering. The advantage of a direct debit is that you get a bit of a discount because of the admin costs , but you can go to paying quarterly. I’ve got a smart meter and I thought the whole point was so you knew, and the supplier knew, exactly what you were using. Surely it’s in everyone’s interest to pay for what you use and not, as I previously suggested, effectively give the supplier an interest free loan to run their business with.

Paying for what you use is fine if you can afford the much higher bills in the winter, but many people need to budget so they're better off spreading the yearly cost equally over 12 months.

[yorkie1999]

5 minutes ago, Trumpet said:

I thought you’re always better off paying direct debit as it includes a small discount. Could be wrong. I’d have thought a direct debit should be fairly accurate if the energy company has enough usage history for you. 

Yes, but that would be based on people not taking cost cutting measures, eg heating a tank of hot water for a single shower and leaving it on etc. it’s a bit like the petrol companies whacking their prices up, so people don’t use their car as much, but having already pre paid for the fuel based on an estimate of what you’ve previously used.

[Fazzer 7]

I usually think she’s, well, being complimentary, a maverick. 
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNpyQHRN/?k=1

[yorkie1999]

21 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Paying for what you use is fine if you can afford the much higher bills in the winter, but many people need to budget so they're better off spreading the yearly cost equally over 12 months.

As I said, you can control your spend on energy. I mean, top tip is get your mother in law to do your washing and ironing.

Edited 9 August 2022 by yorkie1999

[Robo61]

1 hour ago, yorkie1999 said:

Since the begining of the year i've overpaid with my energy bills and consequently i'm 800 quid in credit. What i'm annoyed at is as a result of that my energy company is basically getting interest free credit from me. Not Fair.

Then ask them to change the DD so you pay what you use each month and refund your balance.

[yorkie1999]

1 minute ago, Robo61 said:

Then ask them to change the DD so you pay what you use each month and refund your balance.

That I will do, I’ve only just found out. 

[FoxesDeb]

Just now, yorkie1999 said:

As I said, you can control your spend on energy. I mean, be too tip is get your mother in law to do your washing and ironing.

You can't control the difference between needing your heating on and not between the seasons though, many people with a small disposable income just won't be able to find the difference in their bills between the summer and winter months.

[Robo61]

32 minutes ago, Fazzer 7 said:

So, if you’re on a fixed price deal as we are, Ends Dec this year. Can you decline/cancel the monthly dd and instead pay for what you use monthly instead? 
ps we have a smart meter. 

You will keep your DD discount if you simply change to paying the monthly bill by DD,  rather a fixed amount.  Added bonus being that effectively the energy company is loaning you the cash rather than the other way round.  You do though need to be able to budget which is not every bodies bean.

[yorkie1999]

2 minutes ago, Robo61 said:

You will keep your DD discount if you simply change to paying the monthly bill by DD,  rather a fixed amount.  Added bonus being that effectively the energy company is loaning you the cash rather than the other way round.  You do though need to be able to budget which is not every bodies bean.

Which is the advantage of a smart meter. Thanks for the info, 

[Fazzer 7]

1 minute ago, Robo61 said:

You will keep your DD discount if you simply change to paying the monthly bill by DD,  rather a fixed amount.  Added bonus being that effectively the energy company is loaning you the cash rather than the other way round.  You do though need to be able to budget which is not every bodies bean.

Also I know a couple of folk who’s current deal has just ended, and rather than locking in for another 12-24 months have elected to just go on a standard variable tariff. That might be an option. These prices can’t carry on long term, they’re simply unsustainable, something has to give, surely. 

[Robo61]

9 minutes ago, Fazzer 7 said:

Also I know a couple of folk who’s current deal has just ended, and rather than locking in for another 12-24 months have elected to just go on a standard variable tariff. That might be an option. These prices can’t carry on long term, they’re simply unsustainable, something has to give, surely. 

I hope you are right,  but fear you are not.

[Parafox]

14 minutes ago, Fazzer 7 said:

Also I know a couple of folk who’s current deal has just ended, and rather than locking in for another 12-24 months have elected to just go on a standard variable tariff. That might be an option. These prices can’t carry on long term, they’re simply unsustainable, something has to give, surely. 

 

4 minutes ago, Robo61 said:

I hope you are right,  but fear you are not.

So far the Gov are showing no signs of stepping in to help.

 

Talking to a friend in the pub last night who has worked extensively in France dealing with utility companies who told us that EDF are a French gov owned utility company. He said the French EDF customer's bills are due to rise by 4% due to Gov subsidies. Ours are due to rise by 45%.

[Daggers]

4 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

So far the Gov are showing no signs of stepping in to help.

 

Talking to a friend in the pub last night who has worked extensively in France dealing with utility companies who told us that EDF are a French gov owned utility company. He said the French EDF customer's bills are due to rise by 4% due to Gov subsidies. Ours are due to rise by 45%.

Gov subsidies…and the profit they recorded here which was magically converted into a £154M loss so they didn’t have to pay any tax in the last recorded tax year. 

[Foxdiamond]

4 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

So far the Gov are showing no signs of stepping in to help.

 

Talking to a friend in the pub last night who has worked extensively in France dealing with utility companies who told us that EDF are a French gov owned utility company. He said the French EDF customer's bills are due to rise by 4% due to Gov subsidies. Ours are due to rise by 45%.

There we are. If this is anywhere near accurate then this just confirms the rip off. The companies and shareholders are making money hand over fist yet we are all facing crippling costs.

[Daggers]

1 minute ago, Foxdiamond said:

There we are. If this is anywhere near accurate then this just confirms the rip off. The companies and shareholders are making money hand over fist yet we are all facing crippling costs.

SSE made £600 million pre-tax prior to the price hikes. Set for £1billion+ this year. 
 

No one is going to convince me this is justifiable or sustainable. 

[Parafox]

2 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

There we are. If this is anywhere near accurate then this just confirms the rip off. The companies and shareholders are making money hand over fist yet we are all facing crippling costs.

French year-ahead power prices have jumped more than five-fold in the past year. But the government's decision to limit an increase in electricity bills to 4%, combined with a plunge in the availability of EDF's nuclear reactors, are expected to dig a 24 billion-euro hole in its 2022 earnings.12 May 2022

 

I imagine that the profit "converted to a loss" to avoid tax is how they'll cover that hole.

[yorkie1999]

6 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

There we are. If this is anywhere near accurate then this just confirms the rip off. The companies and shareholders are making money hand over fist yet we are all facing crippling costs.

The gov will have to step in eventually simply because it’s gonna be a massive election winner for the opposition. All Labour would need to do is include it in their manifesto about old dears freezing to death and the tories are sunk.

Edited 9 August 2022 by yorkie1999

[Lionator]

27 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

So far the Gov are showing no signs of stepping in to help.

 

Talking to a friend in the pub last night who has worked extensively in France dealing with utility companies who told us that EDF are a French gov owned utility company. He said the French EDF customer's bills are due to rise by 4% due to Gov subsidies. Ours are due to rise by 45%.

The issue here is absolutely bad governance. The French, Germans and Americans, our closest allies, are negating these issues through taking control of energy, by planning ahead for the winter etc. Ours are useless, you’ve got the next PM suggesting that the issue to this is tax cuts.

[Parafox]

1 minute ago, Lionator said:

The issue here is absolutely bad governance. The French, Germans and Americans, our closest allies, are negating these issues through taking control of energy, by planning ahead for the winter etc. Ours are useless, you’ve got the next PM suggesting that the issue to this is tax cuts.

Aren't those gov's you mention more socialist than our pack of self-serving, vicious, greedy bastards?

 

I'm not a out and out socialist. All I want is fairness for our weakest/poorest/neediest in what will likely be a huge challenge this winter.

[Lionator]

Just now, Parafox said:

Aren't those gov's you mention more socialist than our pack of self-serving, vicious, greedy bastards?

 

I'm not a out and out socialist. All I want is fairness for our weakest/poorest/neediest in what will likely be a huge challenge this winter.

I mean Biden isn’t a socialist by any means but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do to avoid a financial crisis. France and Germany and most of Europe rely on public services a lot more than us, so there’s no the political fight back in nationalising critical infrastructures. 

[FoxesDeb]

14 minutes ago, Parafox said:

French year-ahead power prices have jumped more than five-fold in the past year. But the government's decision to limit an increase in electricity bills to 4%, combined with a plunge in the availability of EDF's nuclear reactors, are expected to dig a 24 billion-euro hole in its 2022 earnings.12 May 2022

 

I imagine that the profit "converted to a loss" to avoid tax is how they'll cover that hole.

Similarly over here, our government has a joint agreement with Portugal and our gas and electricity prices were capped in May this year for at least 12 months. The Spanish govt is also discounting our fuel prices by 20 cents a litre and has been doing for some months now. But then the UK are giving monetary credits towards energy bills aren't they, I'm not sure which way is worth the most to the average consumer? Or even if every household qualifies?

[Parafox]

6 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Similarly over here, our government has a joint agreement with Portugal and our gas and electricity prices were capped in May this year for at least 12 months. The Spanish govt is also discounting our fuel prices by 20 cents a litre and has been doing for some months now. But then the UK are giving monetary credits towards energy bills aren't they, I'm not sure which way is worth the most to the average consumer? Or even if every household qualifies?

They are giving a fixed amount per household with no means testing. That's wrong IMO. My daughter is on benefits and on a pre-paid meter. Her bills are already higher than those on a tariff. She will get no more in credits than a wealthy person who can afford to absorb the increase in cost. 

Unjust and unfair.

[FoxesDeb]

4 minutes ago, Parafox said:

They are giving a fixed amount per household with no means testing. That's wrong IMO. My daughter is on benefits and on a pre-paid meter. Her bills are already higher than those on a tariff. She will get no more in credits than a wealthy person who can afford to absorb the increase in cost. 

Unjust and unfair.

I Googled it after I asked the question, and I've seen there's another 650 for people on benefits, on top of the 400 for every household, does your daughter not qualify for this?

 

I agree that the extra cost for those on pre payment meters is unfair. 

[RobHawk]

£400 ain't gonna go very far when bills have and will increase so much. 

 

The government are useless and don't see to care one bit.

[Raj]

Hosepipe ban incoming yet drive down Hamiton way and the pipes are flooded and its gushing water all over the road to Tesco from the Porsche garage.

ANY savings youd make from a hosepipe ban has just been negated  by that burst pipe, unreal!